Artificial fish bait



Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,168,894 ARTIFICIAL FISH AI'r Johnson A. Arbogast, Akron, Ohio Application April 28, 1938, Serial No. 204,827

2 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to artificial flsh bait.

A purpose of the invention is to provide an improved and simple inexpensive connector loop construction for attaching a bait body either to a spinner or other shaft or to the line whereby free lateral wobbling of the bait body is permitted but tilting of the bait body vertically is limited effectively to prevent fouling of the hook.

The foregoing and other purposes of the invention are attained in the artificial bait illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific form thereof shown and described.

The subject matter of the claims in the present application is disclosed in applicants Patent Number 2,111,020, dated March 15, 1938.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view partly in section of a bait embodying the invention.-

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof with another extreme position of the non-fouling weed guard shown in dotted lines, its normal position being shown in full lines.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail side elevation of the connection between the spinner shaft and bait body, the latter being shown in full lines in the upper extreme position to which it can tilt or cock vertically and the bait body being shown in dotted lines in the lower extreme position to which it can tilt.

Figure 4 is a side elevation partly in section showing how the improved buck tail or iiy may be slipped onto a hook.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the device as shown in Figure 4 and showing also in dotted lines how the improved buck tail may be distorted to be easily withdrawn from a hook over the barb.

Figure 6 is a perspective View of the improved buck tail or y, and

Figure 7 is a side elevation of another and known type of bait showing the improved buck tail or y applied thereto.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings;

the improved bait may comprise a spinner shaft I0 provided with a loop II for attachment of leader or line (not shown) and havingthereon a known type of spinner I2. At its rear end the spinner shaft I0 is provided with a triangular loop I3 having its vertex at the rear end of the spinner shaft with divergin'g sides extending above and below the horizontal and a vertical base in which is formed a loop I4. To the loop I4 there may be connected the loop I5 which may be on the shank of a hook I6. As will be evident from Figure 3 the vertical base of the triangular loop provides stop shoulders limiting vertical cooking or tilting of the bait but allowing free horizontal wobble. 5

A non-fouling weed guard I'I is provided which preferably comprises a single piece of wire looped at its center over the top of the shank of hook I6 and the portions thereof at each side of the center extending down under the loop I5 and then upwardly through the eye of loop I5, and thereafter diverg-ing outwardly and inclined rearwardly. As will be evident this construction will permit the Weed guard to flop forwardly until limited by Contact with the forward portion of loop I5 in the dotted line position shown in Figure 2.

The shank of the hock I6 has thereon a bait body I8 so weighted or having its mass so distributed as shown so as to cause the hook to ride through the water with its prong Iiin up. The

' bait body may be suitably decorated to provide a natural appearance and may, to this end, be decorated with an eye |88. Rearwardly on the bait body about shank I6 there extends a. reduced body portion I9, preferably substantially cylindrical and preferably having a slightly tapered rear end as at I9. This is provided for removably receiving and retaining the improved buck tail on the bait. y

The improved buck tail is shown in perspective in Figure 6 and may comprise a short rubber sleeve 20 about which is wrapped and adhesivelysecured as by rubber .cement one or more sheets of rubber preferably having continuous upper portions 2| but so cut beneath these upper portions as to provide separate strands or a fringe4 2 I"L which upon the wrapping of the rubber sheets on the sleeve provide a tassle or buck tails, or ily construction. The rubber sleeve 20 may have' its outer'surface buried and cemented and the 40 continuous portion 2| of the sheet or sheets2I may be cemented and wrapped about the sleeve to form an integral whole, self-vulcanizing rubber cement preferably being used. Sheets 2l having strands 2l of different length and of various 45 colors may be used in combination as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 6. Th sleeve 20 may be omitted, the rubber sheet or sheets being wrapped upon themselves provide rubber sleeves or the rubber sleeve 20 may be retained and buck tail 5o or fly stock of other material may be secured' to the rubber sleeve.

'I'he improved buck tail described may be used with the bait of Figuresl to 3 by slipping. it over the hook as shown in Figure 4 or in the reverse direction depending upon the action desired from the buck tail and the sleeve of the buck tail may be engaged over the end of the body portion I8 and the buck tail forced thereon, the main body of portion I9 being somewhat larger than the aperture through the sleeve of the buck tall whereby the elastic sleeve is expanded and the buck tail is releasably secured by the contractile quality or property of the expanded rubber.

To remove the improved buck tail it may be slid off portion i9 and the shank of hook I6 and to pass it over the barb I6b the sleeve of the buck tail may be squeezed to distort its aperture to suiicient width as shown in Figure as to freely pass over the barb |81.

As will be apparent from Figure 7 the improved buck tail may be slipped onto any hook to provde a bait and in this ilgure it is shown slipped onto the hook of a known type of spoon. This buck tail can be similarly used on the hook I6 of the bait shown in Figures 1 to 3 or on the' hooks of similar articial baits.

Modications of the invention may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the Vappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An artiilcial bait comprising a connector for a bait body provided wtih a triangular loop at its rear end, the vertex of the triangle being at the rear end of the connector, the sides of the triangle diverging above and below the horizontal and the base of the triangle extending vertically and having a loop therein in the central portion thereof, a bait body having a loop at the forward end thereof connected to said central loop, the base of said triangle providing stops for Hunting vertical tilting or cooking of said bait body said bait body being provided with a hook and being of such mass so distributed as to cause the hook to ride with its prong up.

2. In an artiilcial bait, relatively movable parts and a connection between the relatively movable parts of the bait comprising a triangular loop on one part having a central loop in the base thereof and a loop on the other part-engaged in the central loop thereof, said base providing stops above and below the central loop to limit'relative movement of the parts of the bait in the plane of the 

